Getting Back in the Game

Big 5 Sporting Goods is upgrading its merchandise mix to attract customers and boost sales and profits. The changes could beckon investors, too.

California was particularly hard-hit by the recession and has struggled to rebound, as unemployment levels still exceed those elsewhere in the nation. The troubled local economy and a value-focused customer base made business especially difficult in recent years for Big 5 Sporting Goods, a sporting-goods retailer that operates about half of its 407 stores in the state.